It is safe to say that fashionistas are always spoilt for choice when attending a trunk show. From meeting designers from luxury brands to experiencing the magic of clothes first-hand, there’s a lot of style magic to be discovered at these exclusive events.
At AiSPi, we have a special relationship with trunk shows. Ever since our founder, Aisha Saraf Kothari attended her very first digital trunk show by Moda Operandi, she fell in love with the concept.
“What fascinated me about the entire experience was that it was exclusive and limited to a select number of people, adding a sense of mystery and charm to it. These events are very ‘in the moment’. You get to explore the products, find out its story and decide whether you like it or not at the same time. And the limited stock options just makes it all the more exciting,” says Aisha.
“My absolute favourite thing about trunk shows is put together through the eyes of a curator. You get to see things from this person’s perspective, experience products that they love. And I think that’s always interesting.”
Fascinated by the concept of trunk shows since the first one she ever visited, Aisha went to attend several more. And with each, she uncovered a side of fashion that made her love the industry a lot more.
AiSPi’s First Trunk Show
The first opportunity for AiSPi to put together a trunk show came in February of 2019. Our founder received a call from one of our followers who expressed their love for the products we curated and put forth a new idea for AiSPi. Aisha explained “She asked us if we were open to coming to India to display some of our products at Luxury Lifestyle Weekend (LLW). To say we were thrilled yet anxious would be an understatement!”
AiSPi, at that time, was only one and half years old and while India had been on our horizon, we had only been active in Europe until then. But our founder took on the challenge. “I didn’t think too much, I just took the plunge and I headed to India with only 5 designers with us,” said Aisha. “It was a hit! People were very curious about these designers and they were flocking towards us. We noticed that the products that we were providing were unique to the market. We had statement handbags, silk dresses, denim jackets, all available at a great price point.”
When Aisha founded AiSPi, the audience she wanted was close to her. “I always thought of my friends and family back home as the audience. Because that’s the only world I’ve known intimately. Their preferences, their lifestyle are relatable to me and it’s also my root and where I am from. The response and the validation that we got from that first event organically definitely pushed us forward.”
AiSPi’s Exciting Boutique-Inspired Trunk Show
The same year as our first trunk show with LLW, we returned to India to build a unique trunk show experience at The Loft in Kolkata. This two-day trunk show was truly a boutique-inspired experience, visited by press, local celebrities and many stylish people from the industry. “We had a wall there which had this written on it: In a field of roses, she is a wildflower,” says Aisha. “This simple slogan was so true for our products, while we too were selling fashion-forward products like the others there, our products had that European flair.” The space was extremely well-decorated, with the entire place set up like a boutique. “It was a high-end shopping experience, and we even had the designer of ByKavya personalizing scarves on the spot for clients.”
AiSPi’s Most Energetic Trunk Show
The Indian capital of Delhi is known for three things—food, people and it’s exceptional fashion. With eleven European designers, AiSPi headed to this city in November of 2019 to host a trunk show at the Bahamas Counsulate. With over 300 attendees, it was a crazy affair. “It was just so exciting! The buzz of everyone shopping was amazing. As the show was put together at the last minute, I wasn’t really expecting it. But that Delhi-energy and buzz gave us such a high!”
AiSPi’s Innovative Private Trunk Show
From digital to physical, over the last few years AiSPi has successfully hosted a number of trunk shows. Bringing niche designers from all over Europe to Asia, we have tried a number of ways to aptly show the designers creativity and vision. One such unique trunk show experience was with Rosantica, an Italian label that infuses traditional Roman-inspired designs with directional shapes to create accessories. “We had a private room sale with this brand. We handpicked 15 of our top clients and we did a zoom call with the designer herself. She walked our clients through each of the designs, one-by-one over the call. This was a chance for the clients and the designer to connect and choose their pieces directly from the brand,” explains Aisha. “It was a really nice, virtual and innovative experience.”
Through each of our unique trunk shows, one thing is clear: we don’t have a copy-paste method of selling. This makes each of our events extremely exciting. “You don’t know what the next AiSPi trunk show will bring! You don’t know where we will settle next, how we are going to sell next, and we are hoping that others enjoy this excitement,” concludes the founder.
Written by Team AiSPi
If you want to be a part of our trunk show, follow AiSPi’s Instagram closely along with our website for new updates. At the moment, we are hosting a number of shows over the next few months. To be a part of it, reach out to us on social media or write to us on info@aispi.co.